Shoe upper lacing machine



July 27, 1943. F A, KEANEY 2,325,337

SHOE UPPER LACING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1940 Patented July 27, 1943 Francis A. Keaney, roclrton, Mass., assignor to"v 'I f .United Shoe NltlachinergCorporation, Borough t The present inventionrelates to improvements in shoe upper lacing or similarmachines and` more particularly to lacing cord cutting devices for machines of the type disclosed in the U. S.

Letters Patent of Fossa No. 2,106,320, dated January 25, 1938, and No, 2,281,686,1dated May 5, 1942, and pending application ofthe sameinventor Serial blo-335,724, led May 17, 194,0, in *which successive loops of lacing cords are passed alternately across eyeletted edges of a shoe upper -and through the eyelets in the upper during lacing operations. 4

In the machine of the patents and application, after a series of loops have been passed through each -pair of eyelets of an upper, thenal loop of of FlemingtonpNJ., a corporation oiNew Jer Application Junezi, 1940,*seriaiua 342,043 I aclantis. (ciiizfsyh l w ,v

ers, Ainstead of betweenv the loopers andk theupper, so that the severed ends "of cord connectedwith n each 'completedlacin'g Will be shorter than'in'the engage one' leg of'each'final loopof cordtoirnthe leg of the loop engaged by the-tar, triefbar'is the series is severed and `an end-Withdrawn' to prevent the` series" from unravelling. To carry the cord through the eyelets and toy hold each loop open as a succeeding'loop is being inserted, a

needle is provided in the machine foreach pair of eyelets operated upon and-a looper is arranged to enter each loop :carried by a needle, releasing it only after the succeedingloop has been inserted.

Afterthe series has been' completed, one'sideof v the iinal loop held by the looper is severed be# tween the looper and the upper so that the end of cord connected to thesupply may be Withdrawn. The cutter for severing the cord in this machine loperates in such a WayI that the remaining end Aof cord connected to the completed lacing and engaged by the` looper 'is longerv than necessary land may, in some instanceaA-require a` further trimming operation in order topr'event entangle-- ment With adjacent cords or other parts during subsequent operations on the upper.

The objects of theY present invention are tore,- duce the length of @0rd at the end of' a Shoe up# per lacing inserted in Aa machineof theftypedisfclosed in the above identified patents vand'application and to improve the construction and mode of operation of a cutter for sei/fearing theendsfof the cords of each lacing'in a lacing machinevof this type so that furthertrimmin'g of the' cord ends remaining connected to the laycingswillbe unnecessary. n y n With these and other objects in View, afeature of the present invention'relates'v to theprovision a shoe upper lacing fmachiuehaving upper clamping means, one or more lacing needles and a corresponding number of loopers providedwith looping and spreading elementsfor'holding each loop' of cordopen to recevethe` needle 'carrying `the succeeding loop of cord,A ofone orrnore cutters for severing theY iinal loops 'ofcord between theloopingand spreading elements'ofthe loopmachine'of the patents and application., l In-the form of this feature hereinafterdescribed, 'fthe cutter consists of a reciprocating bar actingt'o part a tension to the cord before being severed anda knife projecting from a surface offthe'bar for severing the cord atA the proper location? after biting tensioned.` In order to "preventescap of 'grooved and arranged after contacting-ftheqcord to ldraw that 'portionengagedlb-y' thebar'intothe groove while the cord is bei'ngftensioned.- 'Y

These andjotherfeatures consis'tin the con'- vstructioris, combinations and arrangements ofthe 'parts hereinafter described and claimed, .the -ad, v Vantages of which Will'readily be understoodI from the' following description taken .in connection Ywith the accompanying vdrwvings'in which Figrl is a viev'v' in right-hand side elevation of amortion of a lacing machine erribodyingv a cord "severing cutter in Which the features ofthe present inven:

`tion reside; Fig. 2'is a front View;.partlyin'se-c4` cord; and Fig. 5 is a similar perspective'indicating the manner of severing the cord'. i'

The illustrated lacing machine',v in construction y and mode of operation of'itsflacing devices, is

the same as them'achine'of the patents andapplication `above identified. The lacings are in'- serted While the upper is held clamped-.in folded relation With'eyelets in'lropposite upper sides in alignment; Each pair of aligned eyelets operated.v Y

upon has kinsertecvlf therein {a} lengthof cord formed yinto a series of enchained lloops;alternate? ones of which are'r'nasvse'dy through a" pairI cffaligned` 'eyelets and the others of Whichv` arey passedacross the eyeletted edges of theu'pper, the'bightportion lof each loop actingto' lock 'the-previously y for'rnedfloop in place, the' final loopbeing severed.

along the bighty portion and the severed-supply Will netunravelthe co ple'ted lacingbut merely y, Referringmore particularly tothe drawiiiginie illustrations in vFigs.' 1;' 2 l 'and '3,'V fin order Ito avoid .y

confusion, indicate two only of the series of enchained cord loops. As illustrated, these loops of cord are in the `positions of the next to last and nal loops formed just before a single lacing is completed. In Figs. 2 and 3,. one loop 2 is shown as having been passed across the eyeletted edges of a folded shoe upper 4 and drawn close to the surface of 111e upper .adjacent a pair of aligned eyeletsl', 'the upper vbeing secured in position by clamping members 1. The bight of a final loopv 8 has been inserted in the loop 2 and is illustrated as `being held in spread relation hy a reciprocatv 4 ing'looper having relatively movable looping and l spreading elements IU and IlZ which enter each succeeding'loop together after-releasing the previous one. Each loop is inserted by the upward stroke of a reciprocating eye: pointed needle I4 which is moved laterally witha jogging action. In order to provide slack for opening out of the upper, the vlacing cord between successive-loops is carried about hooked end of a thread- `finger #spaced :a short `distance ,from the upper. Durimg the nal movements :of the needle M., the iaciing cord'iscmrxiied into the grasp of a .cord :grip- `per .H oonsisting of 4tivo .relatively movable memberszamd :the :cord of the final loop is severed mhebi'ght )portion which -is held .by the Infthemachine .of the patents `and application, :l l'cntbar ,is .provided inthe form of a reciprocatmthesupper to [the need-le. Thereafter, the `cord lstripper releases itsfgrip .and the needle x Yand cmdgripper .are actuated to .cause the supply .end f. the severed :oord extending .to the needle to oedmwm through the loep z mbo @position close to *the .cord gripper.V vThe grip lontl'ie oord slthen tightened to hold the .cord preparatory rola .new lacing voperation. Ast-he nal movememos needle occur, Athe upper clamping members -release the laced upper and vthe inaohne sbrought to rest.

When the -cord lcutter acts to sever the supply Ju of the loop between the looper and the upper an this way, the end of vcord extend-ing from the completed .lacing is of such length that when the .sides of the ripper azrexseparated and a lastimserted, the cord end :may become ,entangled with the cord ends vofadjacent 4uppers -or Awith oord lends: :extending V-lacings of adjacent eyclwets romrltne zsame upper. n

In toprevent entanglement of the cord mais in a'la'ced shoeupper., .accord-ingto the present; invention, :the iinal loop in each lacing is evcsd hetwcen theelooping and spreading Aelements of Jthe loopcnwhile holding the loop in. spread condition, iinsteadfof between the spreadin; dement and the upper. `The reciprocating cutter' bar 2n. .has :sect1-reci` to its upper .side sur :faire a triangular knife 22 which-passes across the mammie mrd stretched-between the looping land elements in opposition to the dfir'octirm of looper movement dur-ing the severing Byso locatingtheknfe, .the .cord is Seynod-folded' :to .the completedv lacing, leaving'a plwnter'end lifter :sever-ing than in the previnuamachine.:,Torprevenltriniury of the cord 4by thezforwmrdend .of the bar which in the machine of the patents and application issharpened with n knife odge, ,theiorward .end of the bar 12.0 of

mkpnesent machine is .formedwith a rounded @before the knife 22 becomes effective (Fig. 4).

` cutting stroke of the bar.

'eyeletted edges of the upper.

and smoothed forward end along which the cord slides. The forward end of the bar in the machine of the patentsv and application also is grooved to provide a knife edged recess into which the cord will be drawn with certainty during the The edge of the recess at the forward end of the bar 20m the present machine is so rounded and. smoothed that the cord Will be ydrawn into the groove indicated at 24, causing a tension to be applied to the cord The arrangement is such that when the knife 22 intersects the cord, the tension will be vsuilicord. also serves to tighten more effectively the next to last loop 2 of each lacing, thus causing van accurate measurement by the measuring 1inger l5 of the cord surrounding the finger and the Each looper is arranged in a manner Vmore `fully described in the patents .and .applicationand is rig-idly mountl p shaft 3B rotatably and slidably mounted in parallel relation to 4the rod .26 in the frame mem- .b.er.28. f

To insure ythat .the triangular knife I22 on rthe Acutter bar .2.0 will sever the loopof lacing cord held by. the looper ,between ther looping` and .spreading elements vof the present machine, the `cutter .bar is slidably mounted in the frame mem- .ber in ,parallel relation to .the rod v26 and shaft r3!) after the manner .set forth in the patents and .application Vand .the .sharpened edge of y'the vtriangular kn'ife, .when actuated., passes along one :side .ofthe looper .element 1B lbetween the pair of points upon thelooper element onion-e side `and .thepair of points .on the spreader element on 4theother side when the spreader` elementis in loop spreading position. The machiney is vso timed thatfthe .cutterlbar will be .actuated when a .nal loop .of .a lacing is held on adjacent looping .andspreading points which are directed and .actuated while .entering the cord loop inopposition to the .sharpened edge of the triangular .knife 22 .theknie thus acting positively yto sever the final loop of thecord ,in .a lacing .mid-Way of its length which projects from the eyelets. .Thus, there will remain ,a free end ofvcord attached to the upper .of -one'halfthelength of the nal loop instead .of a free Iend .of substantially greater length'than one-halithe loop, as with vthe prior machine. ,Atthe .same time, the free end of cord remaining connected to .the completed lacing will lnot be so short that vthere -will be 4danger` ,of-unravelling. The nature and scope of the invention having .thus vbeen indicated and a specic construction .embodying Ithe lfeatures of the invention having been described, what is claimed is:` A L In v.a machine for, la'cingshoe uppers, the -combinationwith upper .clamping means, a reciprocating needle for insertingfa series of loops of movable togetherintoeach needle loop and relaer provided with looping and spreading elements tively in a direction transverse to the movement in entering a needle loop to separate the sides of the loop, of a cutter mounted in the machine and guided for movement substantially parallel to the movementpf the looper while entering the needle loop and along a suitable path to cause its sharpened edge to pass between the points of the looping and spreading elements of the looper while holding the nal loop of a lacing in spread condition to sever the cord of the loop.

2. In a machine for lacing shoe uppers, the combination with upper clamping means, a reciprocating needle for inserting a series of loops of cor-d in an upper secured by the clamping means,

' and a looper provided with looping and spreading elements having substantially parallel points movable together into each needle loop and relatively in a directionl transverse to the movement in entering a needle loop to spread the loop, of a cutter comprising a bar mounted in the Inachine and guided for lengthwise sliding movement parallel to the movement of the looper while entering a needle loop, and a knife projecting from a side surface of the bar with its cutting 'edge directed in opposition to the direction of having substantially parallel points movable together'into each needle loop and relatively in a direction transverse to the movement in'entering a needle loop to spread the loop inserted by the needle, of a cutter comprising a bar movable rin opposition to the direction of looper' movement while entering a needle loop to engage one leg of the nal vloop in a lacing and impart a tension l to the cordiheld by the looper, and a knife projecting-from a side surface of the bar with itsv cutting edge acting on the cord stretched between the looping and spreading elements while Y thebar to severv the cord is being tensioned` by ne final loop of a lacing.

fl. In av machine for lacing shoe uppers, theA combination with upper clamping means, a nee-.-

elle for inserting a series of loops of cord in an upper secured by the clamping means, and a loop- I- er provided with looping and spreading elements having substantially. parallelvloop'en'tering points movable together while entering e'achvneedle loop, y

of a cutter comprising' a grooved cord vtensioning bar movable to engage the cord' between the loop- 

